Former US President Donald Trump has reassembled key members of his 2016 campaign team, with ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard assisting him in debate preparation, as he faces off against Vice President Kamala Harris in the latest polls.
Corey Lewandowski, who managed Trump’s successful 2016 campaign, will return to help the Republican regain the White House this November, according to co-managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita on Thursday. Joining Lewandowski are Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, Alex Bruesewitz, and Tim Murtaugh, described as “veterans of prior Trump campaigns.
Lewandowski was fired by the Trump campaign shortly before the 2016 election after allegations of groping a female reporter. He was brought back to lead a pro-Trump fundraising committee in 2021 but was again fired over separate allegations of sexual misconduct. Wiles and LaCivita did not specify the roles Lewandowski and the four staffers will play in this year’s campaign, but Trump told reporters that Lewandowski will serve as a “personal envoy or he’ll be at some level.
Trump and Harris are currently neck and neck in most polls, with the former president trailing by less than 1% according to data compiled by RealClearPolitics. Amid rumors that Trump blames his campaign staff for eroding his four-point lead over President Joe Biden, he has enlisted ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard’s help ahead of his upcoming debate with Harris, the New York Times reported on Friday.
Gabbard, a former US Representative and vocal opponent of the Democratic Party’s interventionist foreign policy, was credited with ending Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign during their debate showdown. Gabbard criticized Harris’ record as California’s attorney general, highlighting her role in imprisoning thousands of marijuana offenders and blocking evidence that would have freed innocent men on death row.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed the former president met with Gabbard, stating that he “does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisors and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage.
Should Trump emerge victorious in November, his transition team will be led by Linda McMahon, who headed the Small Business Administration during his first term, and businessman Howard Lutnick. The two major donors to Trump’s campaign will join running mate J.D. Vance and Trump’s adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, on the transition team. Transition teams help presidential election winners staff their administrations and are typically named several months before election day.